Improvement in garters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND F. BURROWS, OF MYSTIC RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN GARTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,524, dated July 24, 1866.

To all lwhom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND F. BURRoWs, of Mystic River, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have in vented a new and Improved Ladys Garter-Holder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

The object of my invention is to ,provide a soft iiexible band which is to be clasped around the ladys leg next the skin, over which the stocking is to be drawn, and the usual elastic garter placed so as to encircle the stocking directly over the band, whereby all uneasiness occasioned by the elastic binding the leg too tightly is obviated, and, besides, the stocking is held up more securely and neatly.

This invention-consists in a band or ring of some thin ieXible. metal or material covered with leather or some soft fabric, so that it will not chate the leg, and provided at each edge with a rib or piping for preventing the ordinary garter slipping 0H when encircling it, the said flexible band to be fastened around the ladys leg by any suitable clasping device.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a view of my garter-holder, showing its application and position before the stocking is drawn up over it and the garter applied. Fig. 2 is a view of the stocking when held up by my invention in conjunction with an ordinary garter. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of my garter-holder. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an ordinary garter, which may be used in conjunction with my garter-holder.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

To make my garter-holder I take, rst, a thin liexible strip, a, Fig. 3, of some ilexible material, and make in one of its ends a series of punctures or perforations, b b b, and secure to the other end a button, c. These punctures and the button constitute the fastening, as shown in the drawings; but it is evident that other fastenings may. be employed. The metallic strip or band a is then covered with leather d, or other suitable material; and in order to provide a means for preventing the garter (shown in Fig. 4t, which is the ordinary elastic band used by ladies) from slipping oft' I pipe the covering at the edges of the strip, as shown at e e,- hence the garter I will lie between the raised edges c e, and not be likely to slip oil'.

A still neater finish is given to the article by covering the leather with another covering of silk, f, or some material softer than the leather, as shown in Fig. 3.

A slide,B,eneircles the band or strip, which may be slid over the loose end of the band for keeping it close down upon the portion ofthe band underneath it.

The device is applied by clasping it around the ladys leg, as shown in Fig. l ofthe drawings, whereit will remain because of the impossibility of its slipping down over the calf of the leg. The stocking is then drawn over the band, and the ordinary garter placed over the stocking, directly over the band, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it will lie between the pipingcords c e,- hence it cannot slip down upon the leg.

This garter-holder is flexible, sets easy upon the leg, and by its use the stocking may be kept up ina far neater manner than when the elastic band alone is used, for the reason that the garter, being elastic, will readily slip down the leg, its elasticity allowing it to pass over the calf of the leg; whereas, when used with the holder, it must remain in the position in which it is placed, whether above the knee or below the knee, according as to whether the lady gai-ters her stocking above or below the knee, the knee in the one case keepin g the ban d from slipping down, and the calf ot' the leg in the other.

It will be observed that this garter-holder effectually prevents the ordinary elastic garter clasping the leg tightly, hence the circulation of the blood is in no wise impeded.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A device for holding ladies7 garters in their places upon the stockings, consisting of a iiexible strip or band, a, covered with any suitable material or fabric, and provided with raised edges e c, the said device to be clasped around a ladys leg` underneath the stocking, and the stocking held up by a common garter encircling the stocking directly over the band, substantially as shownand described.

EDMUND F. .BURROWVS Witnesses:

T. R. WEBB. E. C. STILLMAN. 

